The most striking change he's seeing, Jakowchik said, is among clients who can get pretty good deals, but only if they give up access to the doctors and hospitals they now use. Because his practice is on the Westside, he's hearing from clients who aren't happy about losing Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center as hospital options.

My questions are: Who among you Getbiggers has healthcare insurance? Did you purchase your coverage independently or is it a benefit offered by your employer. For those who don't have healthcare insurance, what do you currently do when you need medical attention? For those who do, do you feel your coverage is adequate. For those of you who feel it is not, why is it not? Who among you has received a cancelation notice from your healthcare insurance provider? If you have, what are your plans for next year's insurance coverage? Do you expect your premiums and/or co-pays will increase?

I'll answer first. My wife and I are on Medicare. We purchase supplemental healthcare insurance to offset what Medicare does not cover. Our supplemental coverage is not being cancelled, but it is becoming more expensive, both because of premium increases and because of co-pay increases. As a result we are looking into a less expensive healthcare coverage plan. We have an agent and don't need to use the government website to find coverage. Since we would simply change plans but not the provider, all of our current physicians, hospitals and pharmacies would still be in network.

My questions are: Who among you Getbiggers has healthcare insurance? Did you purchase your coverage independently or is it a benefit offered by your employer. For those who don't have healthcare insurance, what do you currently do when you need medical attention? For those who do, do you feel your coverage is adequate. For those of you who feel it is not, why is it not? Who among you has received a cancelation notice from your healthcare insurance provider? If you have, what are your plans for next year's insurance coverage? Do you expect your premiums and/or co-pays will increase?

I'll answer first. My wife and I are on Medicare. We purchase supplemental healthcare insurance to offset what Medicare does not cover. Our supplemental coverage is not being cancelled, but it is becoming more expensive, both because of premium increases and because of co-pay increases. As a result we are looking into a less expensive healthcare coverage plan. We have an agent and don't need to use the government website to find coverage. Since we would simply change plans but not the provider, all of our current physicians, hospitals and pharmacies would still be in network.

Me, wife and kid (who does not live with me) are all on my insurance that I get through the job. Just had to re-up for the insurance (because of ACA, for some reason, I couldn't just do nothing and have my insurance from last year continue to 2014 as in years past).

Cost is staggering. My plan is through BCBS is a mid-level one and costs about $1250 per month. My job pays the lion's share, though, so I only pay $300/month. I feel lucky...

Me, wife and kid (who does not live with me) are all on my insurance that I get through the job. Just had to re-up for the insurance (because of ACA, for some reason, I couldn't just do nothing and have my insurance from last year continue to 2014 as in years past).

Cost is staggering. My plan is through BCBS is a mid-level one and costs about $1250 per month. My job pays the lion's share, though, so I only pay $300/month. I feel lucky...

Before I retired in 2009, my health insurance was through my work. They paid the lions share. Because of the size of the school district, they were self-insured, but the plan mirrored the Regence BCBS plan. It included dental, vision and the deductibles were low, so I think it was a "Cadillac" plan. As our kids are grown, it was two party insurance, which is to say it covered my wife and myself. The total cost was over $1,000 a month.

Our current supplemental insurance is with Regence BCBS and will cost next year $178 a piece on top of the $100 we pay each for Medicare. Dental and vision coverage stinks and the deductibles keep going up. The reason I stay with it is because all our doctors, pharmacy and hospitals are in the plan's network.

My questions are: Who among you Getbiggers has healthcare insurance? Did you purchase your coverage independently or is it a benefit offered by your employer. For those who don't have healthcare insurance, what do you currently do when you need medical attention? For those who do, do you feel your coverage is adequate. For those of you who feel it is not, why is it not? Who among you has received a cancelation notice from your healthcare insurance provider? If you have, what are your plans for next year's insurance coverage? Do you expect your premiums and/or co-pays will increase?

I'll answer first. My wife and I are on Medicare. We purchase supplemental healthcare insurance to offset what Medicare does not cover. Our supplemental coverage is not being cancelled, but it is becoming more expensive, both because of premium increases and because of co-pay increases. As a result we are looking into a less expensive healthcare coverage plan. We have an agent and don't need to use the government website to find coverage. Since we would simply change plans but not the provider, all of our current physicians, hospitals and pharmacies would still be in network.

I get mine through work, our open enrollment is going on right now but I havent checked to see what the rates will be. I think I pay around 300 a month and that includes medical, dental and vision

When I didnt have health insurance as an student/independent contractor I went to little clinics inside CVS or Walgreens for colds etc.

it was like $50 bucks a visit and then maybe up to $100 or so for medication.

This is the issue that obamacare is going to have as the young and health by and large will spend much more in premiums than they would if they just visited a clinic when they got sick.

I get mine through work, our open enrollment is going on right now but I havent checked to see what the rates will be. I think I pay around 300 a month and that includes medical, dental and vision

When I didnt have health insurance as an student/independent contractor I went to little clinics inside CVS or Walgreens for colds etc.

it was like $50 bucks a visit and then maybe up to $100 or so for medication.

This is the issue that obamacare is going to have as the young and health by and large will spend much more in premiums than they would if they just visited a clinic when they got sick.

Healthy young people don't believe they need health insurance until they get really sick. Like with all insurances, you pay to cover your risks. If you don't see any risks it is hard to want to fork over money....just in case something bad happens with your health.

My sister was swimming in a lake in California a few years back. She had a seizure and drown. The paramedics were able to revive her and she ended up with a 10 day hospital stay. She had no health insurance and no money to speak of. Her little unplanned incident costs upwards of $70,000., none of which has she ever paid. Those of us with health insurance are paying for people with situations like my sister's.

Healthy young people don't believe they need health insurance until they get really sick. Like with all insurances, you pay to cover your risks. If you don't see any risks it is hard to want to fork over money....just in case something bad happens with your health.

My sister was swimming in a lake in California a few years back. She had a seizure and drown. The paramedics were able to revive her and she ended up with a 10 day hospital stay. She had no health insurance and no money to speak of. Her little unplanned incident costs upwards of $70,000., none of which has she ever paid. Those of us with health insurance are paying for people with situations like my sister's.

I would say for the majority of young kids they are playing the numbers and are winning.

With today's announcement that folks can keep their substandard policies for another year, I suspect we will see some changes. It wouldn't surprise me if some medical insurance providers ignore this change of plan and still cancel substandard policies. In these cases the ownness, should be on the healthcare insurance providers. Insurance companies are greedy for profit organizations. Any opportunity to pick up some extra profits for the shareholders is not likely to go ignored. Someone let the cat out of the bag and it's not about to come back anytime soon.

With today's announcement that folks can keep their substandard policies for another year,

According to whom?

Who has the right to label another person's insurance coverage substandard?

It is not up to you, nor government to make that determination. Everyone should have THE CHOICE to select the coverage they need.

A single man, old man or old lady has no need for pediatric vision care, maternity coverage and unless they are liberals they don't have need of mental health coverage.

That stupid phrase, "substandard coverage", loses any validity when its taken into account that Cadillac medical plans will be cancelled. They offer top of the line coverage, yet they don't meet the ARBITRARY coverage selected by dumocrats and therefore those people will lose those policies to meet the government standard. How are Cadillac medical plans "substandard"? They aren't which is why unions are angry.

Incredible that liberals are so in favor of choice when it comes to homos and arbotions, but when it comes to health insurance it has to be what they deem is "standard". Like Krauthammer once said that a liberal is "someone who doesnít care what you do as long as itís mandatory."

With today's announcement that folks can keep their substandard policies for another year, I suspect we will see some changes. It wouldn't surprise me if some medical insurance providers ignore this change of plan and still cancel substandard policies. In these cases the ownness, should be on the healthcare insurance providers. Insurance companies are greedy for profit organizations. Any opportunity to pick up some extra profits for the shareholders is not likely to go ignored. Someone let the cat out of the bag and it's not about to come back anytime soon.

Mr Insurance Expert: Please tell me what is "substandard" about my Brother's Health Insurance Plan that pay's 100% after the annual $3000 deductible, that is unlimited (no lifetime Maximum) and that is being canceled?

Or how what about my 61 yr old neighbor who is having his plan terminated because it doesn't meet the minimum requirements (maternity and pediatric services, etc..) and the lowest price plan he has found to replace it is more than double, and doesn't allow him to go to his current cardiologist (not in network of new plans being offered)?

And since your current Medicare Supplement doesn't pay for maternity and pediatric dental services, How about we pass a Bill that cancels your Medicare Supplement that you have and mandates that you have to purchase a new supplement through a medicare supplement exchange that is more than double in cost, because the new one will pay for maternity and pediatric services and etc that you wont use and don't want, and penalizes taxes you if you don't purchase the new supplement, and where the website for purchasing the new one doesn't even work for most, especially considering you currently have your supplement with one of those "greedy for profit" Insurance Carriers you dislike so much, and on the new one that you have to purchase none of your current Doctors will be in network, then lets see what kind of tune you play on here then.

Mr Insurance Expert: Please tell me what is "substandard" about my Brother's Health Insurance Plan that pay's 100% after the annual $3000 deductible, that is unlimited (no lifetime Maximum) and that is being canceled?

Or how what about my 61 yr old neighbor who is having his plan terminated because it doesn't meet the minimum requirements (maternity and pediatric services, etc..) and the lowest price plan he has found to replace it is more than double, and doesn't allow him to go to his current cardiologist (not in network of new plans being offered)?

And since your current Medicare Supplement doesn't pay for maternity and pediatric dental services, How about we pass a Bill that cancels your Medicare Supplement that you have and mandates that you have to purchase a new supplement through a medicare supplement exchange that is more than double in cost, because the new one will pay for maternity and pediatric services and etc that you wont use and don't want, and penalizes taxes you if you don't purchase the new supplement, and where the website for purchasing the new one doesn't even work for most, especially considering you currently have your supplement with one of those "greedy for profit" Insurance Carriers you dislike so much, and on the new one that you have to purchase none of your current Doctors will be in network, then lets see what kind of tune you play on here then.

Quote

Substandard: 1. below an established or required standard

I am not a medical insurance expert. I do not determine which medical insurance policies are substandard. The dictates of the Affordable Healthcare Act does (in other words, the government).

As for your brother-in-law's medical insurance, there is much more to a policy than what it pays after one meets the (what to me seems like a very high) annual deductible. Does your brother-in-law's medical insurance cover everything that is required according to the Affordable Healthcare Act? Possibly not, if it is being cancelled. Of course insurance companies can and do cancel policies all the time, which is within their rights. Most medical insurance policies are written for one year. Each year the benefits can and often do change. Sometimes when the whole policy is rewritten, the old policy is cancelled. Premiums also can change on a yearly basis. Generally they go up and have gone up at a much greater rate then the rate of inflation for as long as I can remember.

Medicare is available to people and children with disabilities. My Medicare supplemental insurance covers everything that Medicare does but at a higher rate. Therefore Medicare and my Medicare supplemental insurance does in fact cover maternity costs and pediatric care for those who qualify for Medicare. As for Dental. Medicare does not cover routine dental care, but the Medicare supplemental coverage I have does. It is safe to say a disabled child on Medicare with the supplemental plan I have would get routine dental care covered, as do I.

As for your brother-in-law's medical insurance, there is much more to a policy than what it pays after one meets the (what to me seems like a very high) annual deductible. Does your brother-in-law's medical insurance cover everything that is required according to the Affordable Healthcare Act? Possibly not, if it is being cancelled. Of course insurance companies can and do cancel policies all the time, which is within their rights. Most medical insurance policies are written for one year. Each year the benefits can and often do change. Sometimes when the whole policy is rewritten, the old policy is cancelled. Premiums also can change on a yearly basis. Generally they go up and have gone up at a much greater rate then the rate of inflation for as long as I can remember.

Wrong! his Policy was guaranteed renewable (non cancel-able) until age 65, and could not be singled out for rate increase based on health either, that was until Obamacare forced his Policy to be canceled, and "Most Polices are not sold for 1 yr, those are called temp polices and they make up less than 3 % of the Polices sold, and most Individuals Health Plans sold since 96 cannot be canceled.

There are 5 categories of Marketplace insurance plans: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Catastrophic, and and his Policy that is being canceled offers more coverage than all but the Platinum Plan, so more coverage for himself than 4 of the 5 options being offered under Obamacare, yet his Plan that is being canceled because it doesn't fit exactly in one of those categorizes yet is more coverage for him self than 4 of the 5 options being offered so stop making up shit to support your false claims.

Quote

Medicare is available to people and children with disabilities. My Medicare supplemental insurance covers everything that Medicare does but at a higher rate. Therefore Medicare and my Medicare supplemental insurance does in fact cover maternity costs and pediatric care for those who qualify for Medicare. As for Dental. Medicare does not cover routine dental care, but the Medicare supplemental coverage I have does. It is safe to say a disabled child on Medicare with the supplemental plan I have would get routine dental care covered, as do I.

Medicare supplements (also called a Medigap policy) do not cover everything required by the new mandates including pediatric dental (read the link below) services required by the new law. If your Medicare Supplement pays for dental, then you probably don't have a medicare Supplement ( read the link posted below) in fact sounds like you have a MA plan or a MADP Plan which is Medicare Advantage Plan also referred to as Medicare Part C.